Senate GOP Walkout: Democrats Subpoena Leo and Crow in Supreme Court Ethics Probe

Senate Republicans staged a walkout during a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting in protest of subpoenas issued to a conservative donor and activist linked to Supreme Court ethics scandals. The subpoenas were authorized by Democrats after the individuals, Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo, refused to cooperate with an investigation into gifts and personal hospitality extended to Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. Republicans argued that the subpoenas were invalid due to a violation of Senate and committee rules, including the two-hour rule and the absence of a quorum. The approval of the subpoenas is largely symbolic, as it would require 60 votes on the Senate floor to enforce them, and no GOP senator has indicated support for such action.